Gothic Line

The Gothic Line was the last major German defensive line in Italy in the last stages of World War II, consisting of 2,000 machine-gun nests, gun emplacements, bunkers, observation posts, and artillery positions, built by 15,000 slave laborers. From late August 1944 to early March 1945, the Allied Powers were held back by Axis troops under Albert Kesselring, who was a master of defensive warfare. He had his troops make a fighting retreat into northern Italy, and the fighting occurred from Florence to Pesaro. The Allies first breached the line at Rimini in September 1944, but the Germans continued resistance until March 1945, when the Allied Operation Grapeshot offensive brought an end to the Axis resistance in Italy.